A little surprise
by Phoeona
Summary: Ashling gets removed by circumstance from the only home she can remember to Haven its self.  How will she cope, and how will Haven cope with her.
1. Chapter 1

Authors Note: This world belongs to the writer Mercedes Lackey, My Character Ashling and corresponding sup characters just live in it. I do not take credit for this world or any of its original authors characters. I do apologize ahead of time if I don't portray her characters or world correctly to her vision. And remember your comments might make the story better.

Ashling stirred in her sleep causing her to fall out of her hammock.

:I'm sorry little one but your time with us will soon be up.:

"But I'm not ready to go."

:We are on stolen time already. The only reason we didn't have to send you back to the humans sooner is because you seam to have picked up our ability to shift. We have been warned that the fates will intervene and take you away soon. :

Ashling watches the only mother she can remember walk away. She curls up into a ball and cries A small squirrel hops onto her knee and wipes away her tears. The earth shifts. The squirrel runs away. A ripple like a wave heads towards her. Her world tumbles and turns dark. She reaches for anything familiar. She feels something but it is very far away. She pulls with all she has as she tumbles through time. Feeling soft grass under her she blacks out.

" A change circle in the Companions' field. I haven't seen one of these in months. But I thought we got rid of these. Does this mean that the energy fluxes will start up again."

:Talia stop your mussing we have to tell the council what we have found.:

Ashling pulls herself out of the murky darkness. She pries at her sight. A large white head comes into focus. But the eyes are water not sunlight. She looks and sees a hairless two legged thing. Is that a human? * I want to go home. * Ashling start to cry again. A large white bird lands on the grass by her head. It chirps at her. As its feathers brushes against each other sparks come off. Ashling hiccups and passes out.

:Wake up little one, you can't hide in your dreams. A lot of time has passed, and just because you can't live with us doesn't mean that we won't look out for you.:

Ashling feels the brush of a kiss. She looks up at the sky and see a dark shape pass over the moon. She knows that her Daddy has just said goodbye. She realizes that she is seeing the moon through large trees. She feels the warm damp feeling of a hot spring to her right. She walks over to the spring and puts her hand in. A tear falls down her face. She knows it isn't a natural spring.

"Stop Ignoring ME!" She knows someone is behind her. She turns around to see the most flamboyantly dressed person possible. He reminds her of a magpie horde, and his mask looks like a coloured version of the bird she saw before. "Now that you are looking at me, tell me why Aya bullied me into bringing you into my home, and why I can only see you through his eyes?"

Ashling hears soothing chirps from the bird from before. It has landed on the mans shoulder. " You must be Aya. I know I look like a nestling, and I Know I have been acting like one too. But it isn't that bad. I just got taken from the only home that I have ever known, the only parents I can remember. Just to land in this place with weird two legged things. Then I Lovely, get yelled at by your pet."

"PET! You think I'm a pet."

"Yes it is perfectly logical. Why else would you be dressed like a magpies nest, and wearing his face. Besides I have never met a pet that was willing to admit it." _I think this is the first human I have ever talked to so they should be pets. All the mess they were making on the other content._ "So where am I?"

"You in the kingdom of Valdemar, City of Haven."

"Really a Kingdom. Who is it ruled by?"

"Queen Selenay of course."

"What is Queen Selenay?"

"A human."

"Really. So this place is ruled by a human. Are you sure it isn't ruled by those large white spirits I saw before? So, Magpie do you know where I can get something to eat? I have had a long day and find myself hungry."

"Magpie? Magpie am I. You little, Uggghh." his arms flew up in the air. "I should…"

The air around him felt like the air before that wave. Ashling looks at him confused. She feels a comforting presence behind her. :Um, I don't want to interrupt. But my name is Kendrin and I was wondering if you would allow me to show you around?:

Ashling turns around and sees a large white stallion. He looks to be nineteen or twenty hands tall. The energy in the air behind her peaks and she feels a searing pain just above her star. She reaches up and finds the stone in her headband is warm to the touch. Her hand brushes the flap. She pulls down the flap and ties it down covering the stone that covers her star.

"So now I can see you. What did you do?" Says Magpie.

Ashling ignores the Magpie and follows Kendrin out the door into the companions' field.


	2. Chapter 2

:Let's start with the Healer Hall. Its just over here.:

Kendrin leads Ashling to a large squared thing with slightly reflective see-through rectangles. There are animals and non-animals, humans, walking in and out of a swinging rectangle. "Okay I know a healer is someone who fixes hurts, but what is a hall?"

:A hall is a building.: Ashling looks dumbfounded. :I have never met a human who didn't know what a building is.:

"I am not a human, they are dirty stupid things. They fight over pieces of land for stupid reasons and destroy everything around them. The great Eagle Mage Urtho is fighting the evil human Mage Ma'ar right now to stop him from hurting everyone. Its on the other side of the world but my parents told me how both Mages are fighting and that it could change the world even over here."

:Did your parents tell you what species the mages are?:

"They told me Ma'ar is a human. They never said what Urtho is. But only an Eagle could be as noble as he is on that side of the planet. Heck they don't even have dragons over there."

:Dragons? They are a myth. And you are a human. You are fur-less, stand on two legs, have two arms one head, have long black hair with golden streaks, green eyes, have no fangs, claws, horns, or wings, therefore your human.:

Ashling flinches slightly at the wings comment. "Well I'm sorry my parents adopted me. They are all I know, and I have never been outside the grotto, that I can remember. The closest human settlement my parents had to fly to and they only did that to get me cloths and my swo… swor… swords." Ashling starts to cry to hard to talk. She sits on the ground and curls her legs up to her chest.

Kendrin lays down behind her and nuzzles her with his nose. :Its okay you have me now: It looks like Kendrin is blushing. :So your parents are dragons?:

"Uh NO. I would not wish that on any of my family. Carnivorous, political, flying, ego, maniacs."

:How many have you met?:

"Only the for-scouts that wanted to eat my friends."

:Then what are you?:

"I can't tell you. I promised my parents that I would not tell anyone that they existed. They told me especially not to tell the hornless."

:So you could tell a dyheli.:

"A dyheli." Ashling stops to think. "Nope, cant tell them, wrong horned"

Ashling feels a grazer beyond Kendrins protective presence. "Cousin why are you trying to sneak up on me?" Ashling turns around to face the female grazer. She uses Kendrins side as an armrest so she can lay her head on her arms while facing the new arrival. As Ashling looks at the new arrival she notices that she looks like a smaller version of a dyheli, she has slimmer but more muscled legs, a longer torso and the head seams larger for her size. "You're a dyheli right?"

:Yes how did you know? My name is The Sound of Wind Through Grass.:

"Except for a few structural differences you look just like my friend Rain on Water. But if you don't know I can't tell you."

:If you can't tell me can I try to find out? I came over here because it felt like a safe field over here.:

"Yes Two Tones do, do that. That's why we have to learn how to fight."

:Well that's good. Since you landed on the Companions door step per say the council has decided to go by our request to raise you like a trainee and house you with the chosen. We hope that you are destined to be one of the Heralds.: Said an authoritative voice behind her.

Ashling watched The Sound of Wind Through Grass beat a hasty retreat. Ashling turns around to see a large white figure. He is smaller than Kendrin but seams bigger. He has an aura of authority and looks similar to her Mother but different. "Why is one of the Great Spirits with the hornless. There loss was mourned but I didn't think that they got one of the Guilds because of it. What may I call you?"

:I am called Rolan. Why do you call me a Great Spirit?:

"Because you have the Golden Glow of Authority. We are taught to recognize it before we are weaned in most cases. I learned later than that but I'm adopted so I guess I'm a special case." Ashling tucks her hair behind her ear and scratches the pointed tip.

:I know you're an elf.: Kendrin bursts.

"Now that's just silly. Everyone knows there is no such things as elves."

:But your ears, they are pointed. Tear shaped but still pointed:

"I got them at my first chan.. My first sign of puberty. If you are around magic long enough it does become part of you."

:Rolan why are you telling her what the council division is?:

:Because of how she has talked to Firesong and from what you have shared with me, we figured that I should tell her not Talia. Magpie: Snicker. :Just take her to the Collegium and the Dean with sort her out tomorrow.:

"What's a Collegium?"

:A building.:

"I'd rather sleep in a stall like my mother told me humans make the hornless." Ashling gets up with the last comment and slowly inches her way towards the forested area.

:Who is this hornless you keep talking about? Horses sleep in stalls…: Kendrin follows that bit of logic then looks at Rolan. :Are we the hornless?: By this time Ashling has disappeared into the forest but she can still see both 'Companions'. :Where did you go?:

:Just let her be I don't think she has gone far. Besides I don't think she would like the city.: Replied Rolan.

Ashling climbed up a tree and curled herself up in the boughs. She started to sing herself Dreamers Lullaby that her parents always sang to her. She fell asleep while singing it.

A/N: Ashlings Song or Dreamers Lullaby is also a healing song. Its is a mixture of instrumental, singing, Mind voice, and a touch of Magic. It is sung in many languages like tree, bird, cat, wolf, water ect. To any who don't know the language it will sound like noise.


	3. Chapter 3

Ashling climbed out of the tree. "Thank you friend squirrel for teaching me to climb." A tear falls down her cheek. "I will miss you" Ashling places her hand on the trunk of the tree.  
>(in tree) "Thank you friend birch for letting me sleep in your limbs, and for keeping me safe while I dreamed"<p>

Ashling sat in a clearing letting the light fall on her face. She starts to sing:

"Good morning Light, oh how you help everything grow.  
>Good morning Grass, the little's food.<br>Good morning Air, thank you for breath.  
>Good morning Earth, for without you nothing would grow.<br>Good morning Friends, for without you I would be lonely.  
>Good morning Life, because of you we can go on."<p>

"Oh, how I miss you already Daylight, Midnight. Please…" Ashling starts to sob.

Kendrin had heard the singing so he had to go investigate. He arrives just in time to hear the last line of the song and Ashlings tears. Kendrin stops. :Mischief, bunny, Skif, laps, look-out, human sling-shot..:

Ashling looks up. "What did you just say? Mischief, bunny, skif, laps, look-out, human sling-shot? What? I do like the sling-shot idea but is your brain scrambled?"

:I said 'Are you okay?' I was thinking random stuff to see if you heard me or Heard Me.: Kendrin slightly tilts his head to the side. :Yesterday you got defensive about being call human. I only thought it I never said it till you got defensive about it.:

Ashling starts scratching her arm. I hate this form its so itchy. I just wish I could just go for a roll in the grass. But alas I can't show my other form. :No, you said that you have never met a human that didn't know what a building is. Therefore you implied that I was human.: Hruph

:As much as I want to continue this conversation, I was sent here to take you to the salle, since you refuse to go into buildings the Collegium decided to start with an outside class. Then I am to take you back to see Firestorm to be tested for mage powers. _And hopefully they don't insist that I choose you because it is an incomplete calling and something else_.:

"Is anything else after I talk to this Firestorm?" _I don't think I should ask about that calling thing or what a choosing means._"Where is the Salle?"

:I was told if we had time to take you for a ride. And please follow me to the Salle.: Ashling follows Kendrin to a large wooden structure that has straw round things on stilts to the side.

A/N: I was going to put something witty here, but I'm drawing a blank. So Please read and post If you see an error.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Ashlings Sword(s) were designed and made for her. She has had years of practise with them on straw and non-living targets. The sword is a double sword that connects to a single solid sword. The sword is double hilted the grips are rounded on one side flat on the other. There is a small hook on the centre of the bottom of each pommel. The guards of the swords have a clip that connects to the blade collar of the other sword. One sword is double edged the other is single edged, when connected the single sword is double edged. For what theses pieces mean please refer to this article on swords: .org/wiki/Sword

"Kendrin I think I will have to get my sword made, I don't think you will have anything like it here."

:We will see. But first you will probably get tested for skill. Look here comes Jeri.:

"Okay, Ashling. I want you to pick out a practice sword and spar with David here."

"No. I will not purposely hurt someone with out a good reason."

"It's just a spar. You will not hurt him."

"I do not know how good he is and leaving bruises like you do in most spars is hurting."

"Ookayy. Why don't you just run around the outside of the Salle 5 times. Then go to your next assessment."

Ashling started to run around the building. She decided not to actually run full out because she didn't want to draw attention to herself. After she was finished she asked Kendrin "Where to now?"

:Firesongs Ekeles.:

"Where is that?"

:Where we first met?:

Ashling followed Kendrin to the Ekeles. She saw Magpie standing by the door.

:Here you are Firestorm, Dean Teren asks if you can check her for mage gift.:

Ashling is to surprised to move when Magpie reaches out and grabs her hand. "I don't see a mage gift but she does have an odd magic switch." Magpie says. Ashling feels a searing pain in her head that spreads to her whole body she rips herself out of Magpies grip and flees to the relative safety of the trees.

***  
>(AN: for a change of pace here is Kendrins point of view.)

Kendrin turns his head and watches Ashling run away. In the back of his mind he feels pain and misery.

:Firesong why did you do that?:

"Do what? I just activated the switch. I was curious on what it did."

:Well apparently it causes her pain, and gives her a need to be alone.: Kendrin turns around to try and find Ashling. As he turns and starts to run he whips Firesong with his tail. By the wall he sees a flash of gold. Hiding in the trees is a large black horse. It has a gold main and tail. He looks down and sees that its front hooves are cloves and look to be a gold pearl colour. He looks at its face and sees a horn coming out of its forehead. It is the golden pearl colour too. He sees tears in the horses, no unicorns eyes.

:Leave me alone, please.: It sounds like Ashlings voice. But it is heavily laden with pain.

:Ashling is that you?: He is filled with the need to nuzzle and comfort her.

:Yes its me. But please don't tell anyone. I don't want anyone here to know what I am. I think this is why my parents kept me away from mages, apparently they can force a change. And it really hurts.:


End file.
